Car-coupling



(No Model.) W

' OAR GOUPLING.

No. 329,262. Patented Oct. 27, 1885.

WITNESSES I N EJVTOR Attorney UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM R. BOIVMAN, OF DANVILLE, KENTUCKY CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,262, dated October27, 1885.

Application filed August 31, 1885 To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. BOWMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Danville, in the county of Boyle and State of Kentucky, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in car-couplers, and is designed toproduce an automatic device for dropping the pin in the link and forretaining the link at any elevation, that it may properly enter thedrawhead of the succeeding car,whether it be relatively high or low.

In describing the device reference is had to the annexed drawings, inwhich Figure 1 rep resents a side elevation and section of contiguousdraw-heads; Fig. 2, a plan View of one of the draw-heads; Fig. 3, a sideelevation with a portion sectioned; Fig. 4, details of the pinholder.

The draw-heads A are of any approved construction. Near the mouth, andas low as can be conveniently placed to properly journal, is atransverse shaft, B, both ends being squared or similarly formed, asshown at E. On this shaft, as a pivot, rests the slotted ends 0 of aframe, D, projecting in front and across the mouth of the saiddraw-head. The slots in the ends 0 are for the greater part of theirlength considerably wider than the diameter of the said shaft B, buthave a continuation, F, that fits snugly over the square portion E. Onone end of the shaft, beyond the frame, is a ratchet-wheel, G, withwhich a pawl, H, pivoted to the draw-head, engages. On either end of theshaft is an operating-handle, I. By engaging the slot continuation Fover the shaft it is evident that as the latter is turned the frame willbe carried with it, and as it rises will engage with the link K, andelevate it to any desired angle to correspond to'the height of thedraw-head in the car to which it is to be coupled. This is shown indotted lines, Fig. 3. The ratchet holds the frame in place. WVhen thecars come together, the drawhead of the car not carrying the link willhit the frame and drive it backward after the end of the link hasengaged in the mouth of the said draw-head, and the frame will fall tothe Serial No.175,755. (N0 model.)

I pendent position shown in Fig. 3, the enlarged portion of the slotpermitting such movement. In order that the coupling may be automatic,the draw-head is slotted to the rear of the pinhole on top, as at L, inwhich rests one end of a curved arm, M, the upper projecting portion ofwhich is provided with holes N and a pin, 0, by means of which theextent of the travel of said arm M is regulated to suit differentdraw'heads. The end of the arm M, resting within the draw-head, isenlarged, as at P, and carries rollers B, so that the friction may bereduced as much as possible. On the enlarged end P rests the pin S. Asthe link engages with the end of the arm, it pushes it to the rear, thecurved portion passing through the slot, and the pin falls within saidlink, thus automatically performing the operation of coupling. Each drawhead is provided with the link-elevator and the pin-support.

It is evident that a clamping-nut may be used in place of the pawl andratchet.

I claim- 1. In a car-coupler, a link-support consisting of a transverseshaft with squared ends and carrying a handle and ratchet-whcel, and aframe with slotted ends surrounding the shaft, said ends having acontracted continuation, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a car-coupler, a pin-support consisting of a curved arm withadjustable stops at one end and an enlargement and frictioirrollers atthe other end, said arm resting within the draw-head, and having an endpassing through a slot therein, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

3. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a draw-head, of alink-support consisting of a frame with slotted ends having contractedcontinuations and a transverse shaft supporting the same, and apin-support consisting of a curved arm with an adjustable stop andfriction-rollers, the whole arranged substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

IVILLIAM R. BOWMAN.

\Vitnesses:

J. XV. PRooTon, J. M. WnLLAcn.

